Words are Unnecessary
by Kagehime3
Summary: It can begin slow. It can come out of no where. It can be silent. It can be loud. But in the end, they both will know exactly what it is. A series of interconnected one-shots. Laxus x Mira. Spoilers from the manga from chapter 358/359 and on. Rating increased for darker content.
1. Chapter 1

**Inspired by manga chapter 359.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Hiro Mashima**

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_Reaching Out_

Weeks had passed since his sacrifice, and still Laxus lay in bed, fighting the poison racing through his blood. Between fighting Tartaros and her normal duties, Mirajane had taken it upon herself to spend her free time helping care for the older man. She would do the same for any of her friends, of course.

Laxus, though, he was different. She had known him since she was a child. She had watched him grow into a rebellious teen, into an angry and callous young man, and now here he was, willing to lay down his life to save not just his friends, but the innocent people of a town he had no real connection to. He had changed and matured so fast after his exile, he more than deserved becoming a guild member once more, and Mira was truly thankful to Gildarts for giving him that second chance. Since then he had shown just how dedicated he was to Fairy Tail, and Mira would never forget that.

As Mira came into the guild's infirmary, now empty save for Laxus, she couldn't help but send the sleeping man a gentle, yet sad smile as he groaned in his sleep. Walking over to his bedside, she set down the bowl of cool water and washcloth she had brought with her before pulling a chair closer and taking a seat. She hummed lightly while she dipped the cloth in the water and began to carefully wipe away the sweat on Laxus' forehead, that gentle smile widening as the man seemed to calm just a little bit with her attention.

She didn't think too much of it when he appeared to lean into her touch, or when he scowled softly in his sleep whenever she pulled away to dip the cloth in the water again. When he mumbled her name under his breath, though, she gasped in a small breath, the hand wiping at his brow frozen as she watched his eyes flutter open and meet her wide eyed gaze. Over the time that he had been recovering, he had rarely woken, and never when she was alone and caring for him, so she couldn't help but be taken aback by it for a brief moment.

"Laxus," she breathed out, shaking off her surprise as her expression softened again and she went back to pressing the cool cloth to his skin. "How are you feeling?"

He only grunted, not really willing to give an answer one way or another, probably because he was still too sick to really tell how he felt other than terrible. Instead he turned his head to the side more to look at Mira, forcing her to pull the cloth away as she tilted her head curiously, waiting for him to say something. "What are you doing?"

Her smile was pure amusement, a light chuckle escaping her as she turned to place the cloth in the bowl as she spoke matter-of-factly. "I'm taking care of a friend, of course."

It was Laxus' turn to look shocked then, eyes widening for a moment before his brow creased in confusion, wondering if there was something he was missing. He and Mira had definitely been on exceedingly better terms since his return to the guild, but for her to call him a friend, after the things he'd done, it was the last thing he expected.

"Laxus," she sighed his name again, the sound wistful and light, somehow taking his breath away as he watched her turn to look at him again. With the soft, nurturing smile on her face, a light rosiness to her cheeks, she leaned forward to press her cool hand to his forehead before running it back through his hair as she continued; the gesture and sound of her voice lulling him more than he cared to admit. "You've done so much for your friends. It wasn't that long ago that I could only hope to see you willing to give even a fraction of what you have for the guild-"

"Mira," he interrupted; his eyes hard on her as he slowly reached up to grasp her wrist and pull her hand from his hair. His touch was firm, but gentle as he held on to her while regarding her closely, opening his mouth to speak before she shook her head to silence him.

"No, let me finish. I'm glad that you're back. I'm glad that you can finally call Fairy Tail your home, and everyone in it your family." There were tears in her eyes, the sight making the young man push himself up slightly in bed to lean closer to her, his free hand reaching for her shoulder only to pause in midair, unsure of what to do. He was feeling slightly panicked, unable to cope with her if she started crying or sobbing right then, even as he could tell they were far different than the tears he'd made her cry in the past. He'd hurt her with his selfish disregard for the others once. He'd hurt her when he forced everyone in the guild to hurt their own friends and family in his own need for validation and power. He didn't hurt her this time, though, he knew that. The tears in her eyes were because she truly was happy that he was back, and maybe relieved that he wasn't going anywhere now that he was healing.

"Mira, listen…" he began, wondering what words to use in this long overdue conversation with the girl. Out of all the others in the guild, other than his own grandfather, he knew that his actions had hurt her the most. "About the past…"

He paused again as his hand fell from where he was reaching for her, but the one still holding her wrist from before tightened minutely to get her attention. Just as he was about to go on, though, he was interrupted by the door to the infirmary bursting open with a frantic cry of excitement to follow.

"Laxus~!" Freed called out, Bixlow and Evergreen following suit as the trio rushed into the room to the opposite side of the bed.

The emotional moment he was sharing with Mirajane was promptly ruined as his team dog piled onto him, ecstatic to see him not just awake, but moving about. Even as he grimaced at their attention, though, he was glad to see them, he just wished they had better timing. They were his friends, the three people who never stopped believing in him and he knew he could always count on. If only they knew how to read the atmosphere better.

"I'll leave you guys to catch up," Mira said, drawing Laxus' attention back to her, only to share an apologetic look with her. The gentleness in her eyes said it all, though, she forgave him for everything, and he didn't have to say anything more about the past. For that he was thankful.

As she picked herself up and walked out of the room, his gaze stayed on her, even as his friends carried on about what he'd been missing, he stayed enraptured by the young woman walking away until the door shut and he couldn't watch her any longer.

On the other side of that door, Mira paused, leaning back against the heavy wood as she let out a long, steadying sigh, her head leaning back so she could look up at the ceiling and try to will away the light blush that was staining her cheeks.

She would never forget what he's done.

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**Look! I wrote a thing! So, this whole story is going to be a series of interconnected one-shots all centered around Laxus and Mira, and their budding relationship.**

**Don't expect rapid updates with this, though, but I'm hoping maybe once a week, maybe longer if I have a bigger idea for a chapter. In the meantime- look for updates on my progress on tumblr.**

**Reviews always welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Because I just love the idea of these two being in charge for a variety of reasons.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Hiro Mashima**

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_When the Master's away, the guild shall play_

"Laxus!" The cheers ringing out could be heard through much of Crocus as the blond man slowly made his way down the stairs into the main bar area.

It was the first time he had finally felt well enough to venture out from the sick room and of course the other Fairy Tail mages weren't about to let that go without some sort of celebration. While he did like the camaraderie offered by his friends, he was still recovering and hated having to deal with all the fuss, especially since he was the center of attention.

"Fight me, Laxus!" Natsu's voice could be heard over the commotion, eliciting an eye roll from the older man as he made his way to the bar to take a seat on one of the stools. Natsu wasn't in any shape to be fighting himself, his body covered from head to toe with bandages after a difficult mission.

"Idiot! You're too injured to fight him, even if he is still sick!" Gray's loud attempt at being a voice of reason, while slamming his head against Natsu's, only soured Laxus' mood as he felt his eye twitch at the almost insult. Light laughter from behind the bar stole his attention from the fight that was breaking out on the other side of the room now, Laxus' eyes trailing over to Mira as she stood there with a bright smile and full mug in hand.

"We're all happy to see you out of bed, Laxus," she said cheerily, setting the mug down in front of him before she returned to filling other drink orders. The grunt he gave as he sipped at his drink was apparently enough for her as she beamed at him even more.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she got back to work, taking a full tray of drinks through the chaos of the impromptu party. Taking in the full guild, seeing the majority of the members there, particularly the most troublesome ones, he realized Mira was going to have a hard night at work, only made worse now that his appearance helped spur on their party. Ah well, he thought, if anyone could handle their rowdy guild, it was her.

After a few minutes, she came back, her tray now filled with empty mugs and plates that she quickly took back into the kitchen. He heard her calling out a few orders to one of the girls working back there before she popped back out again, just in time to hand him a new mug once his was empty.

"Where's Gramps?" Laxus asked suddenly, the Master's absence when he made his cursory glance around the room stood out to him. Cooped up in bed, he hadn't heard word of him going anywhere, so he was curious.

"Oh! He was called away by Mest- Ah, I mean Doranbolt- to help with the rebuilding efforts with the Council. Erza went with him, as well, to help with security." Mira explained while leaning against the bar in front of him. "You were sleeping; he didn't want to disturb you. He should be back in a few days as long as everything goes smoothly."

He snorted in mild amusement, taking a long drink from his mug before making a comment. "Gramps? And the Council? Even with all new members, I can't see anything going smoothly for him. I'm going to call it a week before he comes back here throwing a fit about whatever new member has it out for us. Let's just hope we can keep this place intact for him, in the meantime."

Mira's laughter at that brought a small smirk to his face, one that immediately turned into a frown as Natsu's familiar holler echoed through the guild before a rather loud crash could be heard. As he watched a few splinters of debris falling from the rafters above him and into his beer, the building shaking from the force of Natsu's landing, Laxus dreaded the thought that he might have just jinxed them. His disappointment was eased, though, as he heard Mira laughing even more, his eyes trailing after her as she disappeared into the kitchen for a moment.

He was still frowning when she reappeared, her laughter finally dying away as she set down a plate with his favorite burger and a side of fries on it, along with a fresh mug of beer- without the debris. He raised a curious brow at the girl, pulling the plate closer while he waited for her to answer his silent question.

"On the house," she said; sweet smile still plastered on her face as she giggled at his confusion. "The party's for your recovery, after all." She paused to lean forward, her hand cupping her mouth as she whispered conspiratorially to him. "And there's more where that came from if you promise to help me keep this place standing until Master returns."

Laxus scoffed at the offer, greedily picking up his burger to begin eating it. "No Master. No Erza. I don't think I have much of a choice in the matter, bribery or not, but ya got yourself a deal, Mira."

Her ecstatic cheer at his agreement left him feeling oddly warm, happy to take a little burden off her shoulders, and not just because he was promised all the food and drink he wanted. There was just something about Mira. Her cheerful personality was infectious. Her sadness was overwhelming. Her anger was absolutely terrifying. As much as he loved seeing that demonic side show through, those fiery glares nostalgic, he had to admit that the changes she went through after first losing her sister made her that much more gorgeous and disarming, and it made her power even more horrific in his opinion.

The sound of Lucy and Levy screaming at their dragon slayer partners before an even larger crash shook the building again forced Laxus from his silent thoughts. Mira had already taken off while he ate, his attention drifting inward as his thoughts revolved around the young woman meant he missed out on yet another fight breaking out. With a low, resigned sigh, he popped one last fry into his mouth before spinning in his stool to glare hard at the offenders.

"Oi! You two knock it off or you'll be rebuilding this place by yourself before Master returns." He threatened, glancing at Mira as he suddenly found her standing next to him, tray held flat against her stomach as she gave the now frozen guild one of her gentle smiles that betrayed the fearsome fury in her eyes. His eyes looked back at the other members to see not just Lucy and Levy pinned under a pile of wood, but Mira's younger sister, Lisanna, as well. Yeah, the men were dead if they didn't calm down. Another low sigh escaped his throat then, his hand gesturing to the deadly calm coming from Mira, and then to the dazed girls trapped from the dragons' squabbling.

He never saw those men freak out and act so fast in his life. It was amusing to say the least.

Three hours, twenty broken tables, a charred chandelier, two caved in walls, and a pool blown up, frozen, and then blown up again later, and Laxus was no longer amused.

Sitting in his same bar stool, sipping at another fresh mug of beer, he let out what felt like the thousandth frustrated sigh. His feet rested on Natsu and Gray's unconscious bodies, the bruising and singed clothing they sported mostly a result of his punishment. Strewn around the guild the majority of the members were sleeping, or just knocked unconscious wherever one of the many fights fell them. It was finally peaceful again.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Mira walking around, checking on everyone to make sure no one was too seriously hurt and then covering them up with blankets- as motherly as ever. "This is going to be a long week," he spoke up as she made her way back over to him. Her face screamed exhaustion, her lips just barely pulling up in a soft smile as she set down a few more dishes before leaning tiredly against the bar next to him. As she stood there, facing out toward the hall, he followed her gaze to see her watching her little sister sleep peaceful, the girl leaning against a sleeping Juvia next to the stage. "Get some rest, Mira. No one's awake for a drink now, anyway."

She laughed, her eyes finally leaving her sister to cast over to him. "Well there's still you, Laxus. You're my last customer."

"Ah-ah, I'm not a customer remember? Co-conspirator," he reminded teasingly, finishing off his beer with one final chug before standing up from his seat. "And don't worry 'bout me, I can take care of myself from here. Now get some rest." He pushed her gently in the direction of her sister while turning toward the stairs up to the sick room, just as exhausted and ready to sleep for the rest of the night as she was.

Before he could get far, though, he felt a soft hand grip his, stopping him in his tracks so he could turn his head back with wide and shocked eyes to see Mira's happy smile again, a light blush staining her cheeks as she looked at him. "Thank you, Laxus. For everything."

His mouth fell open, his voice caught in his throat as she squeezed his hand lightly in gratitude. He had no words to respond with for some reason, so all he could do was snap his mouth shut and cough uncomfortably while giving her hand a squeeze in return. He gave her a small nod and pulled free from her grip to turn and head back upstairs.

He had no idea why his heart was racing like it was. And he was even more clueless about why he could hear her own beating just as fast. He chalked it up to being worn out from policing the guild. That was it, right? That warm feeling would go away after a good night's rest.

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Two and a half weeks later found Master Makarov standing just inside the guild's gates, body shaking, mouth open in shock as he stared at his beloved guild. Erza stood next to him, barely suppressing her amused chuckle at the state of everything.

"Gramps! Welcome back!" Laxus called out to him, sending the old man a small wave before going back to supervising Natsu and Gajeel as they labored over the repairs to the pool- for the third time in the weeks the Master had been away. "Oi! You two! What did I say about trying to carry more tiles than the other!? You already owe the guild three-hundred thousand jewels for the ones you broke this morning!" He hollered at the men as they began yet another futile contest of strength. "If you have that much energy, then you can go make me another sandwich!"

Makarov had no words, just a strange garbling sound escaping his throat as Erza slowly nudged him forward to head into the guild where Mira sat in what appeared to be a throne assembled from a few of the shattered tables. The woman was in her Satan Soul form, a whip in hand as she surveyed a few of the girls, and even her own brother, as they scrubbed the floors and helped Laki rebuild the broken furniture.

"Ah! Master! Welcome back!" Mira proclaimed, her cheerful voice not fitting the demonic form she had taken. Somewhere in the background they heard a few of the rocks fall from a hole in the wall, Mira's head snapping around as she shouted back in that direction. "Bixlow! Gray! I will put you on bathroom scrubbing duty if that wall isn't back up in an hour!"

Terrified shouts from the unseen men had Erza idly wondering just how bad the bathrooms were, but she was just too amused to voice the question. "See Master," she said instead, looking down at the now visibly shaking old man as he stared at the ruins of the guild. "Mira and Laxus have everything under control. Most of the walls are still up, and repairs are already under way on the latest damages. It actually looks just as it did when we left."

The elder man finally gulped down his shock, nodding resolutely as he shakily made his way to the bar and hopped up onto it. "Alright, it looks like I didn't have as much to be worried about as I thought I did." He said, smiling as he caught sight of Mira appearing next to him, once more back in her sweet barmaid attire as she handed him a fresh mug of beer that he took and drank gratefully while he watched Laxus walk back inside. "And it looks like you're feeling a lot better, Laxus. Thanks for helping Mira out while I was gone."

"No problem, Gramps," the young man said with a smile, turning it to the girl in question as she offered him a drink of his own. "I'd say we made a pretty good team."

Makarov froze as he chugged the last of his drink, his eyes trained on his grandson. He knew that look that was on the boy's face, the way he was smirking at the girl. Even if Laxus didn't know it himself, Makarov could see what was happening as plain as day, and he had no idea what to think about it. When Laxus' gaze met his, the old man quickly looked away and downed the last of his drink while he grandson looked on quizzically.

"What is it?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Makarov proclaimed, jumping up with a hand held high in the air as he got everyone's attention and avoided having any discussion about what may or may not be growing between his grandson and most trusted advisor. "The Council is up and running! And we only have two jerks on the whole panel who don't like us this time! I say we celebrate!"

Laxus and Mira both felt large drops of sweat bead on their foreheads as they let out simultaneous sighs of frustration, every repair they'd overseen in the last few days immediately destroyed as the guild swung right back into another party.

"Laxus! Fight me!" Natsu came in yelling at the top of his lungs. Throwing a quick glance at Mira next to him, Laxus shared an amused smirk with the girl before holding out his fist just in time for Natsu to run face first into it, knocking him out cold.

"How 'bout joining me for a drink, Mira? The old man can handle his own party."

The sound of a bottle of hard liquor hitting the bar top answered his question as she took a seat next to him. As they raised their glasses full of whiskey in a silent toast to a job well done, they chose to ignore Natsu's pained groans from beneath their feet. He wasn't their problem anymore.

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**Because who doesn't think that leaving these two in charge while the Master is gone would make for a very hilarious situation.**

**As I said, all these one-shots are interconnected and will slowly build the romance between them, so be patient as I'm already laying the groundwork obviously. It might not be as slow as I imagined it would be. :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**My favorite Laxus headcanon shows with this chapter. I just couldn't resist.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Hiro Mashima.**

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_Childish Antics_

When he walked into the guild that morning, his eyes immediately cast around, looking for something, or someone.

It was a rare quiet day for the guild. Many of the teams out on jobs, the sudden influx of good paying missions spurring everyone to get to work, enjoy the prosperity that came with being the top guild once again. His own team had even gone out on a job without him. It had been a high paying job, and from the description he was surprised it wasn't labeled as an S class mission, but his team was strong and determined to show how far they had come, so they insisted he stay behind and take a well-deserved break after the mess with Tartaros.

Much to his amusement, Elfman went with them, Bixlow and Freed teasing the man and Evergreen the entire way out of the guild. They all knew what was going on there, no matter how much they tried to hide it, but it was fun watching them try to deny their budding relationship.

His thoughts on his friends came to a halt as his eyes landed on a shock of white hair, a smirk breaking out at the sight of Mira sitting on the floor with Asuka in front of her. They were with Reedus, watching the mage work on a painting while Asuka happily drew her own pictures on a mess of papers spread over the floor. Lisanna sat with them, laughing at a drawing of Natsu setting Lucy's skirt on fire, something that had only happened a few nights before during one of the guild's parties.

Without any hesitation, Laxus walked down the small flight of stairs into the main bar area, heading straight for the girls. As he got closer, both Lisanna and Mira glanced up at him, the young women immediately smiling at him in greeting. He walked past Lisanna, smirking at her as he leaned his hand down to pat her head, ruffling her cropped white hair before moving to crouch down behind Mira and take a closer look at Asuka's art.

"Babysitting duty?" He asked as Mira's attention went back to the girl scribbling away with her crayons.

"Everyone's out on their missions right now, so Bisca asked Lisanna and I to watch Asuka while she and Alzack took a quick a job one town over." Mira explained after a short nod, a light sound of laughter bubbling in her voice as she leaned over the little girl to help her color a large lizard. He tried hard not to smile too much as he watched her suddenly scope the girl into her arms, tickling Asuka into a round of cheerful shrieks. "I'd say it's the best job the guild has to offer. Right, Asuka?"

Laxus chuckled at the boisterous display as he prepared to stand up and leave them to their playing, only to suddenly find himself tackled by the excited girl who left him sprawled on the floor, Mira and her sister giggling at him while Asuka helped herself to his lap. His laughter was halted in his throat as he blinked down at her, his hands outstretched behind him to hold him up. He was utterly confused for a moment until he saw that the girl was sitting there holding up a drawing for him to see.

It was of him and his grandfather sitting at the bar drinking a beer, both sharing what looked to be a flat, serious expression as far as he could tell from the childish scribbles. He couldn't help but smile at the girl, pushing himself up completely as he shifted her in his lap so he could sit cross-legged, and took the picture from her to look at it closely.

"Can I keep this? I want to show it to gramps later." He asked the girl, patting her on the head when she beamed up at him and gave him a big nod, obviously very proud of her work. As he neatly folded the paper to tuck into the pocket of his coat, Asuka gently shimmied off of him to return to her work. It was then he looked up and saw Mira staring at him with a soft smile, a light blush staining her cheeks as she observed him. "What?"

She shook her head with a lilting hum before looking at him again, the sweet, innocent smile on her face again. "It's just cute seeing how good you are with kids."

He was flustered, but he refused to show it, instead crossing his arms and turning his head away to glare at nothing in particular. He'd been the oldest of a generation of mages for so long, he was always the big brother, the one that the youngest kids looked up to. He'd forgotten what that was like, became irritated with it as an older teen and young adult, and tried to shed that image by brute force, along with the image of being the Master's grandson. Since his rebellion and expulsion, though, that sense of being the older brother came back to him. His treatment of Asuka was almost natural, done without any thought.

Not to mention it would have been grating on his nerves if he had made her cry- at least that was the excuse he would go with.

His ears perked up as he heard Mira giggling again, his gaze sliding over to see her looking at him with that knowing look she had, that look that she knew something no one else did and she couldn't wait to torture him with the information. "If you breathe a word of this…" His vague, empty threat trailed off as he narrowed his eyes on her, his frown deepening as she only laughed more at him.

"I don't have to, it's not like it's really a secret, Laxus." She said; her attention finally turning off of him to look at Asuka's latest drawing as the girl stood to show it off to them. "Your tough guy image is still safe; if anything a little soft spot like this only makes you look more intimidating when you need to be."

Laxus huffed; turning around again as Asuka came stumbling to him, once again climbing into his lap with just a bit of his help. He knew Mira was right; she was the prime example of what she just said. Her softer image betrayed the strength she had, the fierce demon that lurked beneath, and made her a terrifying sight when angry. He didn't say anything, letting his actions tell her that he understood and took her advice to heart as he lifted Asuka up by the waist, holding her up over his head as she laughed excitedly at the impromptu ride.

As he played with the little girl, lifting her up and down over and over again, his gaze would every now and then glance over to Mira as she sat and watched; laughing, clapping, and cheering them on. His own expression stayed stoic, but his eyes shined with mirth as he enjoyed just sitting there and playing with them. Idly he realized Lisanna had vanished from their group, the young woman not saying a word when she left, but he caught sight of her sitting at a table with Laki and Kinana, the trio watching him and Mira with their own amused smiles.

"Lak-sus! No frowning!" The young Asuka suddenly commanded, his attention snapping to her as he held her in the air, her hands reaching out to pat his cheeks in reprimand. Apparently he had begun to show his displeasure at the audience, and of course the little girl didn't approve of it.

He then heard Mira laugh, the sound closer than he expected as he glanced to see her leaning in closer, her hand reaching to him despite the shock now clearly evident on his face. "Ne, Asuka? Let's show Laxus how to smile." The conniving smile on her face was unnerving while her hand finally reached his face and hooked in his mouth to pull it up into a crooked half smile. Asuka was once again shrieking in laughter, clapping her hands and jumping in his lap once he set her down again. "Ah! This just won't do Asuka!" Mira exclaimed exaggeratedly, her hand not moving from his face as she looked down at the girl in shock. "Can you help me make him smile?"

Asuka's cheer was drowned out by the sound of laughter ringing around the guild, everyone clearly amused and excited to see the Master's grandson being turned into the little girl's play thing. Everyone watched as he sat there and let Asuka pull up the other side of his mouth so that he had a toothy fake grin. The entire guild began cheering and whistling, and Laxus was especially glad that the vast majority of the mages weren't there to see, but after a few moments even he couldn't help but chuckle a bit, shaking off their hands so he could toss the girl in the air a few times with a genuine smile on his face.

The frivolity didn't last long, though, as the guild doors burst open. Everyone in the room immediately stopped laughing as they stared at the group standing there.

Laxus' eyes went wide as he pulled Asuka down to hold her to his chest while standing up, Mira's loud gasp next to him prompting him to distractedly hold out a hand to help her up so she could go running to the group.

His team stood there, a beaten and bloody Elfman barely supported by the three of them. Laxus could hear the young man panting, he was hardly conscious and would surely not be moving if it weren't for the Raijinshuu. He growled low in chest seeing all of them bruised and tired, he knew that mission should have been a higher rank; that he should have gone with them. Now he had to see Mira in tears, rushing to her brother's side to help lead them all to the infirmary. This wouldn't have happened if he had been there.

Once again feeling a tiny hand patting his cheek, he forced his gaze down to the child in his arms. Asuka gave him a sad, sympathetic look; she was trying to comfort him, even though she probably didn't understand what was happening. He forced a small smile for her before turning to Laki, handing Asuka over to her so he could follow after Mira and his team.

The fun was over for the day.

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**Fluffy and cute and fun... THEN BAM! ANGST! So that ending is to set up the next series of chapters that will be less 'one-shot' like and more of a real fic with a plot and everything. I'm also going to up the rating for the story with the next chapter. As I began to come up with the plot for the next portion I realized that it's gonna be pretty dark and have some themes that people might not be comfortable with, so just to be safe I'm gonna up it for that content. Also, with the darker content, expect a pretty major shift in the writing style to reflect it. It probably won't read like the same fic at all (those reading my current Law x Nami fic for One Piece- that'll be closer to the writing style I intend to use).**

**No smut, though, for those who might be hoping for some with the increased rating. At least I have none planned yet.**

**Anyway, I got the next few chapters kinda written in my head already, and with the time off I have coming up with work, I don't expect too many delays with getting them out.**

**As always, reviews are welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the delay in getting this out. Hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Hiro Mashima.**

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_A Woman's Resolve_

The room was mostly quiet save for the occasional sniffle from Mira as she tried to hide her anxious worried tears as she sat next to her injured brother, Lisanna beside her to hold her hand as they tried desperately to comfort each other. Elfman was bandaged, stable and sleeping peacefully thanks to Porlyusica, who was standing away from the crowd of mages gathered around the bed, grumbling to herself as she mixed some herbs.

"He was trying to protect me," Evergreen explained, her attention focused on Elfman as she sat opposite Mira, trying to hide her own concern over the man she'd grown so fond of. "The idiot," she mumbled under her breath, though Mira heard, a faint smile trying to break through her sadness.

Laxus stood back against the wall by the door, allowing the girls to talk while he waited to hear word from his grandfather who was trying to contact the person who sent them the request for more information. His own eyes were glued to Mira, his mouth set in a dark frown as he watched closely. He hated to see her cry.

"There was a rune barrier," Freed went on from where he stood next to Bixlow at the end of the bed, the two men scowling, arms crossed, obviously distressed about what had happened. "It canceled out all outside magic. It was an incredibly intricate enchantment, but I still should have been able to break it faster."

His hands were clenched tight, jaw tense when Mira shook her head at him, "it's not your fault, Freed, I know you did everything you could have." Her words did the trick as Freed relaxed minutely, while Laxus was amazed that the young woman could comfort the others while she herself probably needed it the most.

"Apparently we weren't the first group of mages they've run into," Bixlow finally spoke up, his tone taking on a strangely serious note. "The town that hired us to get rid of them this time had told us they had received word from other towns in the area that had problems with these traders in the past. They'd send mages and mercenaries after them, all would fail, and then suddenly the group would vanish only to pop up a few towns over."

"I noticed there was a pattern in how they move around," Freed picked up from there, glancing back at Laxus for a moment to see that he was listening intently, "each town they visit is relatively small, with a population of no more than five hundred. They stay long enough to kidnap roughly fifteen young men and women, once they reach that limit, they leave. The only time the pattern was different was a few years ago when they set up near a town with the resources to fight them off; they had gotten away, but every person they took was saved. After that they disappeared for a while, but then came back with much stronger defenses."

"Which is why I convinced the mayor of the town to raise this to an 'S' class mission," Master Makarov's voice broke into the conversation, startling everyone in the room as they watched him enter with the flyer. "They can't afford a larger reward than what they originally offered, though."

"That's fine, I'll take it." Laxus finally spoke, holding his hand out to his grandfather to take the flyer from him. Makarov nodded in agreement, somehow already aware that he would volunteer so easily, particularly considering how this affected his own team.

"Good, but you'll need one more 'S' rank mage to go with you," Makarov said, his own eyes casting over to the bed to land on where Mira sat. Her back was turned to them even though they knew she was listening intently. "That one town who managed to scare them off a few years ago had hired two 'S' class mages, and even then it was difficult for them, so I made the decision that this calls for at least two 'S' class mages."

Laxus nodded in understanding before glancing over at the still silent woman sitting next to the bed. There was only one other mage he wanted to work with on this job, and she had every reason to take it on, as well. "You in then, Mira?" She gave a resolute nod in response, her hand tightening around Elfman's for a moment before Laxus glanced at his own team expectantly. "You guys are coming, too."

While his words were mostly a command, the three members of the Raijinshuu all nodded in understanding, Evergreen especially eager to go back and make up for Elfman's injuries.

"Alright, if you all are done being noisy, then get out!" Porlyusica shouted, reminding everyone that she was still there with her firm tone. "Elfman will be fine, but he needs his rest and he won't get that with you all standing around him blabbering on all day. So out! All of you!"

No one was about to argue with the elder woman, and immediately began filing out of the room and back into the bar. "I'm going to do some research to see if I can translate that enchantment before we go back." Freed said with a small wave of his hand as he turned to head toward the library. "If anyone sees Levy get back from her mission, can you please send her to me, I could use her help with the translations."

"We'll be leaving first thing in the morning, Freed," Laxus called to him, getting a wave back in answer.

"I think I'm gonna head home, get some shut eye, then." Bixlow said, stretching his arms over his head while letting out a small yawn. He let out a little snicker as he looked down at Evergreen, a teasing grin on his face. "Ever? You want me to walk ya home, or are ya gonna sneak into Elfman's bed tonight?"

The other Raijinshuu member immediately began to splutter in surprise, smacking him on the head with her fan as he ran off cackling, the woman in close pursuit. Mira and Lisanna couldn't help but giggle lightly, even as they were both still concerned about their brother. The younger Strauss turned to her sister after a short moment, smiling softly at her. "I'll stay the night here with Elf-nii, so you go home and rest. Kinana and I can cover for you with the bar, too, Mira-nee."

"Thank you, Lisanna," Mira said with a smile before giving the girl a hug. "Make sure he doesn't get himself into any trouble here when he wakes up. Natsu and the others should be back in a few days; we don't want them picking too many fights until he's had a chance to get healed."

Lisanna gave her sister a small giggle and nod, before running off to take care of the few mages hanging out at the guild that day, leaving Mira alone with Laxus. The young woman looked up at the blond man, sending him a bright smile even as he stared down at her stoically; waiting for her to speak.

"Thank you, Laxus."

"For what?" He asked in confusion, his head cocked to the side slightly.

"For volunteering to take this mission, it means a lot to me that you would help your friends out."

"It's nothing. I should have gone with them in the first place after they showed me the flyer," he shrugged, looking away for moment. It was just so strange seeing her so comfortable with him, giving him such gratitude for something he should have done in the first place. After clearing his throat he glanced back down at her from the corner of his eye. "You gonna be okay, though?"

"I'll be fine. Elfman's been hurt worse than this, so I know he'll pull through." She answered with the smile on her face dimming just a little bit as she spoke, once again betraying that constant worry she held for both of her siblings.

Laxus gave a short grunt, his eyes sweeping over the bar once before turning back to her and nudging his head in the direction of the door. "I'll walk ya home; we can talk about the mission on our way."

Giving him a nod and another bright smile, she waved at her sister to let her know she was leaving before following him out of the building.

"So I was thinking," Mira began, breaking the air of silence that had descended over them as they walked through the streets of Magnolia. "This group of traders is kidnapping people from the town," Laxus had a very bad feeling about the plan she was obviously coming up with, his eyes narrowing down at her as she spoke. "We need to get inside somehow to free those people before they're sent off-"

"You are not getting yourself kidnapped, Mira," he cut her off, frowning down at her as he glared, already knowing just what she was considering. "It's not a terrible plan in theory; you could use your take-over magic to look like just an average towns-person, but once you cross that barrier around their camp, they'll know it was nothing more than a ruse and you'll be trapped there without any magic to back you up."

"I can take care of myself until Freed can break the barrier's enchantment," she argued, her arms crossed as she met his glare with her own stubborn scowl.

"And then what am _I_ supposed to do? Just sit around and let you get beaten like your brother when they realize who you are? _No_, Mira, we're not using you as bait." She stopped dead in her tracks in the street at his adamant refusal, forcing him to stop as they both turned to stare each other down. The tension rose noticeably between them as neither mage was about to back down, both far too stubborn and prideful to relent to the other. In that moment they both forgot they were standing in the middle of Magnolia, on a fairly busy street, while people gave them a wide berth as they walked around the pair, no one wanting to get in the middle of the silent match.

Laxus couldn't believe that she would be so willful as to put herself in harm's way, even if he knew she could handle herself, he didn't like the idea of taking that extreme a risk, not after seeing what happened to Elfman when he lost his magic. Her brother was tough, he could handle even the most raucous of fights at the guild without his magic, but he was left barely conscious after one scrape with these human traffickers. Still, he knew she had a point, they needed to get someone on the inside to help the prisoners escape, he just hated that it had to be her.

"Fine," he gave in with a sigh, leaning down slightly as he dropped his voice. "But I'm going in with you. Freed and the others can hang back on the outside to deal with the barrier, and the second it's down can come back us up." He groaned when she just smiled at him, obviously proud that she had won the battle of wills, while he stood straight again and wiped a hand over his face. "You do know that if you come back with even one bruise, I won't hear the end of it from Gramps, don't you?"

"It's alright, Laxus, I'll soften him a bit for you," she giggled before grabbing his arm to tug his hand away from his face and pull him along. "And anyway, I know you won't let anything happen to me. I trust you to have my back if things get a little out of control."

Laxus let out a small 'hmpf,' looking away as he let her lead him. Something about those words, her carefree ability to just believe that he'd be there for her, that sheer optimism and trust, it left him feeling just a little rattled. He knew he shouldn't have been so surprised, even at the height of his rebellion, when every word out of his mouth seemed to piss her off he was still that person she turned to when the guild needed help. But for her to be so open and honest about her faith in him now, it only made him soften that much more to her.

For the rest of the walk, Laxus' mind was stuck in an endless stream of thoughts about the woman who had yet to let go of his arm. Even when his pace evened out next to hers again, and he tucked his hands into his pockets, she held herself against him. He didn't shake her off, the thought didn't even cross his mind to, instead he found himself reveling in the warmth and comfort of her body so close to his, the feel of her soft curves brushing against him. Even as he tried to not think about it, he would groan inwardly each time her body shifted just a bit when they would turn a corner, sending his thoughts in a direction he usually didn't mind, but for some reason were far more torturous than they had ever been in the past.

One glimpse down at her, though, brought those seedier thoughts to an abrupt halt. Her smile was gone again, her eyes distant, once again laced with concern. He knew better than to think that she was nervous or afraid for her own safety in the face of the mission ahead; no, she was once again thinking of her brother. He felt her hands tighten around his arm as he observed her, that hint of concern suddenly replaced with a dark anger, and he couldn't help but smile then. There was no beating the demon Mirajane, not when she had that look in her eyes; that rage fueling her.

"Looking forward to beating the crap out of those scum traders?" He said lowly after leaning down to talk in her ear, a knowing glint in his eyes when she jumped slightly. The blush staining her cheeks was amusing, especially as she freed one hand from where it was wrapped around his arm to try and hide it from him.

"That obvious, huh?"

He chuckled, nudging her slightly as he stood up straight again and looked forward. "Can't blame you for that; even ignoring what they did to Elfman, they deserve nothing less than to face an angry demon like you."

He was amazed she could blush any harder, but she did, turning her face away to try and hide it from him. He only laughed again, tugging her in closer with his arm as they continued to walk while holding back the sudden urge to tease her. She had changed so much over the years. In the past she wouldn't have held back that anger, wouldn't have tried to hide that darkness. Now, even though he knows it's still there, it's hidden with a veil of compassion and kindness, making it all the more frightening when it was released, while that much more powerful because it was now fueled by how much she does care about others.

When they finally reached her home, Laxus turned to smirk down at her, the blush on her cheeks finally fading a bit, though there was still a light pink tinge to her flesh. "I'll meet ya at the guild first thing in the morning." She hummed in agreement, her head nodding a bit while she finally let go of his arm to turn toward her door. It was odd how cold he felt without her touch. Pushing down the stray thought, he reached out to place his hand on her head, smirking at the look of surprise she gave him as he playfully pushed her head back so she would be looking straight up at him. "I look forward to seeing the Demon Mirajane in action again."

Giving her head a little shove, he began to walk away, sending her a small wave behind his back as she stood there in shock. It wasn't until he turned a corner and was out of sight that Mira snapped out of it, her face breaking out in a bright blush as she hastily ran into her home and slammed the door behind her. The second she was completely alone, she fell back against the door, her hands coming up to cover her face as she shook her head trying to rid herself of the strange, overwhelming sensation Laxus' one gesture had given her.

The things that man was doing to her, and without even trying; Mira already knew that she was in trouble, that she was falling for the last man she ever thought she could.

* * *

**Fluffy ending~**

**Alright, so in case you couldn't tell from the topic of the mission, but the fact it involves human trafficking is why I'm increasing the rating of this chapter- just to be cautious. Otherwise, no, I have no intentions for dirty stuff... yet... I might very well change my mind considering Laxus' head is already in the gutter, lol.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This was originally gonna be divided into two chapters, but I just kept writing and couldn't find a good place to cut it off at. So have a long chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

_Spark of a Demon_

The town was quiet, the streets deserted as the sun began to set behind the mountains. Everything glowed with shades of orange and pink, a sight that normally would have been serene, but with the rash of kidnappings only brought on an ominous foreboding to the residents. Mira sat in the window of their hotel room, watching shutters close tight all along the street, shopkeepers shooing away young customers thinking to linger without fear of the traders camped not far away.

"You still sure about this?" Laxus' voice rang out behind her, her eyes focusing on his reflection in the window as he came to stand next to her. The hood of his brown mantle was already up, hiding part of his frowning face with shadows that only made him look that much more intimidating to those who didn't know him like she did.

"Of course I am," she answered, turning to him with a confident smile before pulling her own shawl over her white locks. "The Raijinshuu are already set up outside the traders' location working on breaking that enchantment." As soon as her shawl was in place, she reached up to tug his hood down a little further, Laxus stepping closer as she did so that he was towering over her, his now hidden face peering straight down at her so that only she could see the flash of concern in his expression before it vanished. Her smile softened as she gave his hood one more little tug. "Have faith in your friends, Laxus; you know that your team is strong enough to handle this."

He didn't know why he was so worried about her, he knew she was more than strong enough to handle this job, yet the fact they'd be without magic for an undetermined amount of time made him feel uneasy. She was right, though, he had to trust his friends to have their backs, and even more so trust that she knew what she was doing.

When he didn't seem to have anything more to say, Mira let her hands fall to his chest, giving his coat one last hard tug before she pulled away completely. "I thought as much," she teased, giggling as growled lowly at her carefree attitude. "Then I'll be going ahead. Just remember to keep your distance so they don't spot you."

As she spoke her magic washed over her, her long white hair suddenly a light brown bob framing her face, while her blue eyes took on a golden hue. Her height became a little bit taller, the curves of her body thinning, while her light skin became tanner. She looked like a completely different woman, but somehow Laxus felt he could still see her beneath the false exterior, that radiant light she always had shining through it all.

He forced his head to turn away, grunting in answer as he stared out the window to try and rid the thoughts threatening to distract him the longer he watched her. He felt her hand squeeze his arm for a moment before she walked out the door, one last comforting gesture to try and ease that concern he couldn't shake.

The light from the setting sun began to fade more, the shadows of the town growing, and in them Laxus caught a glimpse of Mira hustling out onto the street, pulling her shawl around her even tighter as if she were a fearful, innocent woman racing home before the traders came out. Silently he pushed the window of their hotel room open, the click barely audible to his enhanced hearing, while he leaned his body on the frame. His eyes were glued to her for a second as she walked down the empty dirt covered road, before a faint rustle from an alleyway caught his attention, his narrowed blue eyes landing on two figures hiding in the shadows. Another rustle further down the street had his gaze swinging up ahead of Mira; two more people were crouching down just around the corner, watching the woman closely.

Laxus' hands were clenched tight around the windowsill, his jaw grinding as he restrained himself from just lighting up the scum before they could lay a single hand on Mira. They had a plan to keep to, though; he wouldn't let his own temper get in the way of it.

He watched as the two men in the alley sprang into action, running up behind Mira to throw a bag over her head, the sound of her distressed cries digging into Laxus' head while he watched the other pair come up and throw shackles around her wrists with the chain wrapping around her back. As one of them tossed the kicking and screaming woman up over their shoulder, Laxus finally jumped out of the window he waited in, landing on the ground with a soft thud while his gaze never left the traders now running back into the shadows and heading out of town.

He did as Mira said, hanging back and using his enhanced senses to track them when he would lose sight for a brief second. They headed up into the mountains, through thick forests and over rocky passes. After about one mile, he began to feel it, his magic slowly being drawn out of his reach as their barrier took effect. He was close, though, he knew that.

Firelight in the distance slowed his pace, the sound of laughing as the returning kidnappers called out to their leaders had him ducking down behind a tree to watch the inevitable reaction when they removed that bag from Mira's head to see that she had tricked them. He could see the guild stamp emblazoned on her thigh as it peeked out from the slit in her yellow dress, something the traders hadn't taken notice of yet.

He bit back a growl as they forced her to her knees, kicking at her legs until she fell unceremoniously into the position they wanted her in as they stood in front of a rickety old house built against the side of the mountain. There were other shoddily built homes around it, the camp looking more like a hastily built complex for their operation while also hiding the prison cells he imagined were carved into the mountain side behind the shacks.

Heavy footsteps thundered through the main house before the door opened, revealing a large man who obviously ate well off of the money he made through human trafficking. The wood under his feet groaned as he descended the small flight of stairs to his men, his eyes already intently sweeping over the new victim in the dirt before him. Without a word he waved his hand, ordering the traders to finally remove her hood.

Laxus had to hold back again the moment they reacted, the boss' jaw dropping before anger erupted from him as he grabbed hold of one of the kidnappers by his neck, dragging him closer to snarl in his face. Mira was far too famous not to be recognized, Laxus knew that going in, and there it was being proven that her status as a cover-girl guaranteed people would know her in a second.

"Do you have any idea what you've done!" The boss hollered at his man, tossing him to the ground as he stepped closer to Mira, who only scowled up at him. "How could you idiots capture a mage like Mirajane Strauss!? There's sure to be more Fairy Tail mages running around with her!"

"But boss, she didn't look like that when we grabbed her-"

"Of course she didn't! She's a take-over mage!" He cut off their excuses as he reached down and grabbed Mira by the hair to drag her up onto her feet, forcing her to have his face pressing close to her, a sight that had Laxus digging his hands into the bark of the tree. "At least the barrier's still standing, so she's helpless now without her magic. I'll start putting together some enchanted bindings to keep her locked up in. We're moving out tonight and we're taking her with us!"

"Shit," Laxus cursed under his breath as he watched the traders jump to attention and begin running around the camp to pack all their things. The boss only dragged Mira into his home, the woman still kicking as she tried to put up a fight, even if Laxus knew it was only for show until she was with the other prisoners. He needed Freed to hurry with the barrier, before the traders bolted out of there, with Mira still caught in their trap.

All he could do then was wait for just a little bit longer, until he had no other choice but to go in there himself.

Patience was never his strongest suit, though.

* * *

Mira groaned as she found herself tossed into a cell, her body bracing itself as it hit the cold stone floor while dust kicked up around her.

"Stay here with a few of your new friends, girl," the boss said with a light chuckle, the metal door to the cage shutting behind her as she picked her head up to see that she wasn't alone in there. "I'll be back in a few minutes with some enchanted shackles to make sure you don't get any ideas when we move out of here."

Mira ignored him as he walked away; her main concern was with the poor kids locked in there with her. As she pushed herself up onto her knees, she took stock of everyone; there were about twelve others in there with her, girls and boys ranging from young teens to those closer to her own age. Their condition looked terrible, dirty and shivering against the cold ground, bags under their eyes from lack of sleep, while a few of the younger ones looked so frail, as if they had hardly eaten during their time there.

"Don't worry you guys, my friends and I are going to get you out of here," she whispered, many of them cowering together, disbelieving of her, and refusing to hope that she could help them at all. One girl, probably closer to Lisanna's age, moved toward her, her eyes curious as they swept over Mira, recognition crossing her face when she saw the guild logo on her thigh.

"You're a mage!" She whispered loudly, the exclamation getting everyone's attention while Mira nodded, excitement beginning to stir inside them before the young girl's face fell once more. "But in here you have no magic; you're as trapped and helpless as we are."

Mira smiled, shaking her head as she leaned in closer so they could all hear as she kept her voice low. "Not for long. My friends are strong, and they're going to bring down that enchantment while I try to get you out of here."

"Oh? What was that girlie?" The boss' voice caught her by surprise, her head whipping around to glare at the man standing on the other side of the metal bars. She immediately spotted the long chain hanging from his hands, her eyes trailing down as they widened to see a heavy collar at the end swinging back and forth tauntingly. "So there really are more of ya out there, huh? No matter, unless they can bring down my enchantments, they'll be walking right into a trap here."

While he spoke, he unlocked the cell door and stepped in, Mira inching away as she crowded the other prisoners behind her, protecting them even though she knew he was only interested in her at that moment. A thick hand snapped out, grabbing tight around her jaw and lifting her from the floor again so he could latch her new collar around her neck. "You really are a gorgeous catch, even if that magic of yours is troublesome. I still think I have a few buyers willing to pay good money for a trophy girl like you."

His hand was tightening even more around her face, partially covering her mouth so he couldn't see that look of pure disdain. "I think I'll have to break you in first, make sure some of that _spunk's_ been beaten out of you." She wanted to gag as his face came closer to hers again, a sickening grin plastered to it that sent a shiver of disgust through her body. "I'm going to have so much fun with you once we leave here; and eventually you'll learn to enjoy it."

That was the last straw, her temper snapping as she opened her mouth and bit down hard on the hand covering it. She didn't let go as he screamed out in pain, thrashing around to try and get her off only to have more of his flesh torn by her teeth. A hard strike to her jaw finally forced her to release him. She managed to catch herself before she fell to the floor, steadying herself on her feet despite the cuffs limiting her balance, and threw a hard knee into the man's gut while he was busy nursing his bleeding hand.

He coughed at the force, but hardly moved, catching her leg before she could set it back to the floor and used the grip to flip her until her back hit the hard stone instead. The prisoners cried out in surprise as he stepped forward and stomped a heavy foot onto her chest, Mira gasping out in surprise as he pressed down, crushing her sternum with the pressure as she laid there helplessly. That sadistic grin was back, lewd and disgusting; all Mira could think about was how much she wanted to tear it off his face.

"Oh yes, I'm going to have a lot of fun crushing you, girl."

When his foot came down hard on her again, this time aiming for her arm, she couldn't hold back the scream of pain that ripped from her throat.

* * *

Outside the house, Laxus was still doing everything he could to restrain himself from just rushing in and taking out the men who were packing their belongings up. After a few minutes, his head snapped up, completely alert as he heard the boss' pained cry, his eyes watching the traders as they looked toward the main house in confusion. His teeth grit together; he knew he couldn't hold back any longer, not when he knew Mira was inside fighting.

Slowly he stepped out of the shadows, taking advantage of the distracted men to sneak up behind a few, knocking them out before they even noticed him. The sound of their bodies falling limp to the ground had the others finally turning toward him, their expressions shocked as he tore off the hood concealing him to let them see just who their opponent would be.

They were terrified, but still felt they had the advantage over him- a mage without magic. Even as he grinned, cracking his knuckles as he stood tall and unfazed, they steadily began to circle him. Before they could spring on him, they all were distracted by the sound of Mira screaming, Laxus' eyes going wide in shock while the others just grinned in triumph, believing they could defeat the 'S' class mages without even breaking a sweat.

"Screw this," Laxus growled, ripping his eyes from the house as he quickly launched himself at the closest trader and landed a hard punch in the man's face, knocking him out with the single hit. That got everyone concerned again, though none seemed to notice that Laxus was silently fuming as he heard a few more screams coming from his partner inside. "I don't have time to play with you guys, so unless you have a good challenge for me, then you'd be smart to just run."

A part of him was glad they didn't listen to him, he was angry and could use the idiots to relieve some of that stress, which he did the second a few of them jumped to attack. A Fairy Tail mage didn't need magic in a fist fight, and Laxus was prepared to prove that as he sent each one flying into the trees and houses surrounding the camp. As he stood in the center of nearly a dozen unconscious men, not even breaking a sweat in the quick fight, he paused as he heard someone shift behind him.

The scent of fire reached his sensitive nose first.

He dodged the flames that suddenly came shooting at him, flipping around and to the side to see a man easily three times his size standing there with a strange gauntlet on his hand. The moment he landed, he was springing out of the way of another attack, more fire flying out from the gauntlet that Laxus only scoffed at.

"Is that all you got?" He chuckled, flipping out of the way of another attack. "Natsu's belches are hotter than that." Under the cover of yet another spray of fire, Laxus ducked down before springing forward at the last man, spinning to aim a hard kick into the man's gut that sent him crashing into the main house.

* * *

Back inside Mira was enduring the boss' temper fueled kicks, gritting her teeth to hold back her cries with each hit. She could vaguely hear some commotion outside, but the boss didn't seem to be paying it any mind; she could only hope that it meant Laxus was taking out the other traders.

Her beating ended abruptly as a huge man came flying in, breaking down the walls until he slammed hard into the metal bars of the prison cell they were in.

The boss' attention was now firmly on the hole in the wall that his man had just come throw, his eyes narrowing as he looked outside to see a scowling Laxus waiting patiently in the middle of the camp. Mira smirked at the sight, taking advantage of the distraction to quietly slip her chains from behind her back while slowly standing up. She could barely see an amused smirk pulling up on Laxus' lips as he watched, but he didn't say anything, his hard glare still firmly on the boss. Just as the other man began to turn back to her, Mira struck out, a hard palm sent into his jaw to send him careening back into a wall with the surprise hit.

As he lay in the debris, she knew she didn't have long and quickly gestured for the prisoners to begin filing out, ushering them out the cell and into the outside camp. She was almost to the steps herself when she saw Laxus' eyes go wide and a tight grip yank back on her long hair, pulling her back into the painful embrace of the traders' boss.

"Where the hell do you think you're going girl? I told ya that you're gonna make me a pretty penny once I'm done with you." He growled, his fowl breath cascading over her face from behind causing her to scowl and try to inch away. She felt his face lift up to look at Laxus who stood there with his fists clenched, his mind obviously working fast for the best way to get Mira out of the man's grasp before he did anything else to her. "Oh? Is this your knight in shining armor come to save you? Too bad you have no magic to save your preciously distressed damsel, boy."

To Mira's amusement she heard Laxus chuckle, his body relaxing slightly as he stood up straighter and grinned at the boss. "You obviously haven't heard much about Mira outside of her Weekly Sorcerer articles if you think that, and you've obviously never heard a thing about Fairy Tail mages, either." Mira's eyes lit up as she saw a few sparks light up around Laxus' fists, her eyes glancing over to the trees as she heard a small commotion, spotting the Raijinshuu as they helped the other prisoners get free of their own shackles before herding them away from the battle that was about to go down.

They had done it, they had broken the barrier, and the man holding her had no idea.

"Tell me, have you ever heard the fairy tale where the knight was really a dragon, and the damsel in distress was actually a demon in disguise?" Laxus taunted before he vanished in a bolt of lightning that shot out at the boss holding her. She was surprised when it didn't strike the man, but in the sudden flash his grip loosened, and the next thing Mira knew Laxus was standing on the other side of her, a key in hand that he'd stolen from the man's belt, while the collar still inhibiting her magic fell to the ground with a clang. "I'll tell you how it ends, though… The demon kicks the bad guy's ass."

Mira watched the boss fall back in fear as her magic washed over her and she let her Satan Soul be unleashed, snapping the last shackles from her wrists as her claws grew, while a grin befitting a demon stretched over her face as she looked down at him haughtily. With a loud cry her heavy clawed hand lashed out at him, tearing into his face just as she had so desperately wanted to do inside.

The man never stood a chance against her.

As she stood there, her magic fading away again to reveal Mira once more in her fitted yellow dress, Laxus only watched with awe. The mission was simple in the end, only that damn barrier making it difficult, but still he got to marvel at the sight of Mira's demon once more, even if only for minute.

He was surprised when she spun around and launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck in excitement as she cheered. "We did it! I told you that this would work!"

He relaxed as he laughed at her, wrapping an arm around her trim waist as he relented. "Yeah, yeah, you were right, Mira." His head dipped down next to hers as he returned her embrace, hiding his warm smile in her hair as he took advantage of the moment to breathe her in and enjoy having her body so close to his. She didn't seem to be in any rush to end the hug either, sinking against him as her arms tightened a little more around his neck. He opened his mouth for a moment, wanting to say something more, but unable to find the words he just closed his mouth again and pulled her in closer.

The sound of a throat clearing behind him, along with familiar snickering, had Laxus immediately jerking his head around to see his Raijinshuu standing there watching them. Mira bashfully pulled herself off of him, looking away as a hand reached up to vainly cover her blushing face.

"Are we interrupting something, Laxus~?" Bixlow snickered despite Laxus' glare. "You know, if you two need a moment alone…." He trailed off as he started making some rather suggestive sounds, no doubt winking beneath that mask, while Evergreen hid her own laughter behind her fan; even Freed was masking his chuckles with a few coughs.

"Let's start tying these jerks up," Laxus commanded lowly, his eyes narrowing further as he tried to will his friends to shut up and get to work. "We're not letting a single one get away and ruin our reputation. Got it!?"

He frowned as Bixlow sent him a mock salute before the three began to follow his orders, the eldest of them no longer restraining his loud cackles as he worked.

Sending a sidelong glance at Mira, he saw that she had distracted herself by binding up the boss, taking a little too much sadistic care in doing so as she wrapped some chains tight around him, giving him his own leash and collar, along with a gag. He sighed resolutely as he realized the moment was definitely over, and that Mira didn't seem interested in acknowledging it any further, despite the Raijinshuu's teasing.

Still, he felt it in that embrace; there was a spark between them.

Smirking lightly he let his gaze linger on Mira for a while longer. Maybe there was a chance for something more there; maybe her warm friendship was only the beginning.

The question was; how much more did he want from her?

* * *

**So much fluff at the end for you~. And lots more fluff to come... and still debating on the smut cuz Laxus' head really does keep going in the direction, so we'll see. I make no promises, though. :3**


End file.
